Nine federal committees that advise the Coast Guard on maritime issues have found themselves in the crosshairs of President Trump’s remake of the federal government.
Members of all federal advisory committees under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including those working on towing safety regulations and maritime training, have been dismissed and their committee work and meetings put on indefinite hold.
In a Jan. 20 memo, Benjamine C. Huffman, Acting Secretary of DHS, ordered the termination of current membership on all DHS advisory committees, including those working with the Coast Guard in forming inspections, regulations, and investigations of U.S. vessels, the credentialing licensing and training of mariners, Great Lakes pilotage, and offshore minerals and energy operations. It also affects panels involved in cybersecurity.
Huffman writes that the decision is in line with the Trump administration’s “commitment to eliminating the misuse of resources and ensuring that DHS activities prioritize our national security.”
Huffman didn’t rule out restoring the committees, as long as future activities “be focused solely on advancing our critical mission to protect the homeland and support DHS’s strategic priorities.” He invited current members to reapply.
All committees that advise the Coast Guard have been authorized by Congress, and although memberships have been abolished, “the statutory framework for the committees remains in place and the members can be solicited at any time,” Caitlin Stewart, vice president of regulatory affairs at the American Waterways Operators (AWO), which presents the towing and tugboat industry, told WorkBoat.
There is, however, no time frame in Huffman’s memo for reinstatement and no explanation of DHS plans for the panels. As a result, dismissing members essentially shuts them down and creates shell committees in name, without any powers or ability to meet.
The directive applies to the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee, created in 2018 to advise on shallow-draft inland and coastal waterways navigation and towing safety, the National Merchant Marine Personnel Advisory Committee, which advises on matters related to training, qualification, licensing, certification, and fitness of mariners, the National Merchant Mariner Medical Advisory Committee, which advises on medical certification and standards for mariners, and the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee.
Also affected are the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee, which advises on environmental issues related to offshore mineral and energy operations, the Commercial Fishing Safety Advisory Committee, the Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee, the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health and the Chemical Transportation Advisory Committee.
Committee members are Coast Guard-credentialed mariners, often maritime union members, and representatives of maritime sectors that are regulated by the Coast Guard and possess direct experience and deep knowledge of maritime operations and complex technical issues. These are non-paid positions although expenses to attend meetings are covered.
The directive has alarmed many in the maritime industry, especially maritime unions and the association that represents the inland towboat and tug industry, which regard the panels as key communication conduits between industry and the Coast Guard.
The AWO, which has many members serving on committees, said it “is working to understand DHS’s anticipated next steps” for these committees and is conveying to the new administration the value of advice offered by these panels in helping the Coast Guard make effective decisions on marine safety and security regulations.”
Stewart, AWO’s vice president for regulatory affairs, said her group “views the Coast Guard’s federal advisory committees as very important forums for the agency to seek feedback from the public, including (waterways) operators and subject matter experts in the regulated community, and ensure its regulations and policies are informed by real-world perspectives.”
She said the directive has put on hold several important pending issues before the committees, including gathering industry input into implementing the Safer Seas Act, a 2022 law that aims to prevent sexual assault and harassment on commercial vessels in U.S. waters, transforming the outdated mariner credentialing system, engaging with international partners to negotiate changes to mariner training and qualification requirements, and revising a policy on the design and operation of vessels transporting liquefied natural gas.
In the past, committees have offered recommendations on improving Subchapter M regulations (the safety scheme for operating towing vessels), and on training and experience necessary for mariners to work on vessels using alternative fuels.
A coalition of five maritime labor unions have asked Congress to “take immediate action to reconvene these committees and restore the expertise they represent.” In a letter to Rep. Mike Ezell, R-Miss., chair of the House subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, the unions raised concerns about maritime safety.
“This decision raises profound concerns, especially in light of incidents such as the allusion of the MV Dali with the Francis Scott Key Bridge” in Baltimore, the unions wrote in a Feb. 18 letter. “The consequences of compromised maritime safety are devastating, underscoring the necessity of continued dialogue between regulators and the professionals who navigate our waters.”
The unions said that maritime safety, a core Coast Guard role, depends largely on expertise from federal advisory committees.
“To ensure the continued safety of the U.S. and global waterways, the voices of those who work in the industry must be heard,” wrote leaders of the American Maritime Officers Association, the Maritime Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, the Seafarers Union, the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association.
A request for comment from the House subcommittee was not immediately returned.
The DHS directive revives an ongoing debate about the necessity and effectiveness of federal advisory committees. Critics have argued that the panels are essentially dominated by industry groups that have a specific regulatory or political agenda, and often offer questionable advice.
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